Ye Jie bit his own tongue at the realization of what he just said. He opened his mouth to say something but Ru raised her hand to stop him.
"In the past 26 years of my life, I’ve been called monster plenty of times. And I didn’t mind it. Even your wife called me a monster when we met. But you!" Ru gave a despondent look to Ye Jie and added, "You’re the only person in my life who never called me a monster... Until today."
"Ru, that’s not what I meant. Hear me out!" Ye Jie took a step towards her beseeching her. He didn’t mean it like that. He was angry at the fact that she so easily asked Xu Mey to kill someone even when Xu Mey already is living through her guilt of killing someone when she was young.
"Stay right where you are!" Ye Jie froze at his spot. "Today, you proved that when it comes to friends and girls, people always choose the girl. And it’s a pity that you just called me a monster for the girl you love."
Ru laughed out loud menacingly before abruptly changing her demeanor. "Yes, I am a beast. A monster. I’m the worst nightmare for people. But," her green eyes looked straight at Ye Jie. "I’m not the monster who’s wearing a friendly face! I wear my scars with pride and what is so damn wrong with that?!"
"And you!" She pointed her stern finger at Ye Jie. "Before calling me monster remember that this monster did everything that you asked for. This monster took care of all those people who opposed you." She took a pause before adding, "This monster even saved your wife back then because you asked for it."
Ye Jie’s eyes widened at her last statement. The only person he asked her to save was...
His heart skipped a beat. He lifted his eyes and stared at Ru blankly. "Is Xu Mey..." His voice faltered. "Was the girl back then... My wife?"
Ru laughed mockingly. "What? You couldn’t recognize her? What a pity!" She clicked her tongue. "If you think that I’m playing the role of a god in your and your wife’s life then you should remember that this right was given by yourself."
Getting her confirmation, Ye Jie staggered backward. "You... You actually saved that girl back then? Why?" Ru looked at him but didn’t reply as he continued, "Why did you save her? You said it clearly to me that you hate weak girls. And there is no way that you’d get someone timid like her around yourself. Then why did you save her?"
"Because you asked for it." Ye Jie had nothing to say in return. "You know very well that I wasn’t allowed to make friends and yet I took the punishment but didn’t let you go because you’re the only friend in my life. How could I not save her when saving her was your wish? My only friend’s wish."
"You say that I’ll turn your wife into a barbarian like myself. Do you think that she has darkness in herself because of me?" She snorted. "Then why did you ask me to make take care of her?"
"But... You actually gave her the courage to take revenge which can only destroy her and nothing else." Ye Jie was feeling stuck between his best friend’s words and his wife’s love.
"I did no such thing!" Ru bellowed. "I told her to live her life freely and leave the revenge to me. She wanted to get her revenge with her own hands."
"And for you, that revenge should be Xu Mey slitting her own sister’s throat?" He questioned.
"Why I asked your wife to kill, I know her better than you. I knew she won’t take that dagger from me. It’s not in her. She can never be ruthless. She’s just another angel wearing the mask of a devil to save herself from hurting any further."
Ye Jie didn’t say anything else. He was lost for words. Or perhaps there was so much to say that he couldn’t decide what to actually voice out.
While Ye Jie was lost in his thoughts, Ru spoke in a low voice, "Today, I finally know why my grandmaster warned me not to befriend you." Ye Jie lifted his head with a crease between his brows. "Today, I finally know what he meant when he said, ’Your friend is from a world where honest people like yourself, young master Ru are called impudent. He’s from a world where emotions are only played with and friendship is only kept until you are of use to the other person.’ I fought with him back then saying, ’Jie is not like that grandmaster. He’s a very sincere person. He won’t hurt me.’" She snickered in between before continuing, "Grandmaster gave me a disappointing look and said, ’Young master Ru, that friend of yours will one day make you hate your own self and this grandmaster of yours doesn’t want to see you questioning your own existence.’"
Ye Jie was astounded. She turned to leave and said, "Today, you actually made me hate myself for surviving and for being a monster. So, I can only say, I’m sorry! I’m sorry that you ever had to meet or face a monster like myself." While Ye Jie was frozen at his spot, Ru vanished like a ghost in the night’s darkness.
Ye Jie looked around and called her several times but Ru was nowhere to be found. He fell on his knees as her words echoed in his mind, ’You actually made me hate myself! I’m sorry!’
He rubbed his face with his hand in frustration and guilt. Knowing the life Ru led, he knew how much his one word ’barbarian’ must have hurt her.
"How can your tongue even slip up, Ye Jie?" He questioned himself. "Especially when you know yourself that her own parents always addressed her as a monster."
"You didn’t just break your friendship on this day. You also broke your own best friend!" The conscience’ qualm was brewing while he sat on his knees on the ground.
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